U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

Commissioner's Statement on the Employment Situation News Release

Advance copies of this statement are made available to the press
under lock-up conditions with the explicit understanding that the
data are embargoed until 8:30 a.m. Eastern Daylight Time.
Statement of
Erica L. Groshen
Commissioner
Bureau of Labor Statistics
Friday, May 3, 2013
Nonfarm payroll employment rose by 165,000 in April, and
the unemployment rate was little changed at 7.5 percent. Over
the prior 12 months, job gains averaged 169,000 per month. In
April, employment grew in professional and business services,
food services and drinking places, retail trade, and health
care.
Professional and business services added 73,000 jobs over
the month and has added 587,000 jobs over the year. In April,
employment rose in temporary help services (+31,000),
professional and technical services (+23,000), and management
of companies (+7,000).
Employment in food services and drinking places rose by
38,000 in April. Employment in this industry has increased by
320,000 over the year.
In April, retail trade employment increased by 29,000.
General merchandise stores and health and personal care stores
each continued to add jobs in April. Over the past year,
retail trade has added 248,000 jobs.
Health care employment rose by 19,000 in April and by
288,000 over the past year. In April, employment increased by
14,000 in ambulatory health care services, which includes
offices of physicians and home health care services.
Employment in construction changed little (-6,000) in
April. Job gains in this industry averaged 27,000 per month
from October through March. Manufacturing employment was
unchanged in April. Employment in other major industries
showed little change over the month.
Average hourly earnings of all employees on private
nonfarm payrolls rose by 4 cents in April. Over the past 12
months, average hourly earnings have risen by 45 cents, or 1.9
percent. From March 2012 to March 2013, the Consumer Price
Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) increased by 1.5
percent.
Turning now to our survey of households, the
unemployment rate, at 7.5 percent, changed little in April.
Since January, however, the rate has declined by 0.4
percentage point. Similarly, the number of unemployed persons,
at 11.7 million, was little changed over the month but has
decreased by 673,000 since January. Among the unemployed in
April, 37.4 percent had been jobless for 27 weeks or more.
The labor force participation rate held at 63.3 percent
in April. The rate declined by 0.3 percentage point from
January to March.
The employment-population ratio was essentially unchanged
in April at 58.6 percent. On net, the employment-population
ratio has shown little movement in the past 12 months. Among
the employed, the number working part time for economic
reasons rose by 278,000 to 7.9 million in April, after falling
by 350,000 in March. These individuals would have preferred
full-time employment but had their hours cut or were unable to
find full-time work.
In summary, nonfarm payroll employment increased by
165,000 in April, and the unemployment rate was little changed
at 7.5 percent.